Countries that Need and Doesn't Need a Schengen Visa to Travel Europe

While some categories and nationals of nations are granted visa-free entry to the Schengen Area, others must go through the entire procedure of satisfying requirements and undergoing interviews to receive a visa that allows them to enter the Schengen Area.

Which countries' citizens require a Schengen visa to visit Europe?

The inhabitants of the following countries must get a Schengen visa in order to enter any Schengen member country:

Which countries' citizens require a Schengen visa for airport transit?

Several nations require an airport transit visa to change planes at a Schengen Area airport.

The following is a list of countries in the Schengen Area that require an airport transit visa:

Afghanistan

Bangladesh

The Democratic Republic of Congo

Eritrea

Ethiopia

Ghana

Iran

Iraq

Nigeria

Pakistan

Somalia

Sri Lanka 

However, there are several exceptions to the Airport Transit Visa for specific individuals. Nationals of the countries mentioned above are not required to get an airport transit visa if the following conditions are met:

A valid Schengen Visa for short or long stays if the person has a resident permit from a Schengen member nation.

If the person has a residency permit from a country like Andorra, Canada, Japan, San Marino, or the United States, their whereabouts are guaranteed.

If the person has a valid Schengen visa or a valid visa for one of the EFTA nations, as well as Canada, Japan, or the United States, even if they are returning from those countries.

If the person is a member of an EU citizen's family (close family only)

If the individual is in possession of a diplomatic passport.

Which countries' citizens do not require a Schengen visa to enter Europe?

The inhabitants of the following countries are not required to get a Schengen visa in order to visit any Schengen member nation for tourism or business:

Only citizens of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, and Serbia who have biometric passports are eligible for the visa-free regime.

The visa-free system only applies to bearers of Taiwanese passports that have an identity card number.

2.) The People's Republic of China has the following special administrative regions:

Macao

Hong Kong

The visa-free regime is exclusively available to holders of a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport.

Only bearers of a "Regio Administrativa Especial de Macau" passport are exempt from the visa requirement.

3.) British nationals who are not British citizens (British Nationals (Overseas):

British Nationals (Overseas)

British Overseas Territories Citizens

British Overseas Citizens

British Protected Persons

British Subjects

Citizens of countries that do not require a visa to enter the Schengen zone are not permitted to stay in the destination for an extended period without other legal authority.

Regardless of the reason for travel, the number of days allowed to remain in any of the Schengen zone nations cannot exceed 90 days/ three months every half-year. You should also remember that having a Schengen visa allows you to enter and stay in a Schengen country for a set period, but it does not allow you to work or study there.

If you are a family member of an EU/EEA national, you may not be exempt from obtaining a visa to enter the Schengen zone. It simply means that the visa application process will be simplified and expedited. However, for this to apply, you must meet specific requirements, such as:

You must be a first-degree relative of an EU/EEA citizen (husband or a child under 21years old).

It would be best if you were accompanied by an EU/EEA citizen at the journey destination or dwelling country inside the Schengen Area and provide proof of this.

The visa requirements for persons with multiple nationalities vary depending on the passport they choose to travel with. Even if you hold a passport from one of the Schengen member nations but are unwilling to use it for any reason, if you choose to travel with a passport from a nationality that requires a mandatory visa, you will be required to obtain one.

Suppose you have a D visa, which permits you to enter and live in the Schengen region for a set amount of time, and you have a residency permit from that nation. In that case, you are entitled to visit any Schengen country within 90 days every six months. To acquire a D visa, you must have a legitimate reason, as explained in the following section.